The Marriage Of Frank And Bill

Frank and Bill was a marriage made in (comix) heaven.
Perhaps even more than Frank and Lynn or Frank and Klaus.
Bill without Frank was a Neal-Adams-knock-off.
Bill without Frank was famous for a black demon bear.
Bill without Frank was famous for Jimi Hendrix and countless inking chores.
Bill made magic with Frank.
Almost alchemical.
Frank gave Bill a plot.
Political machinations and liberal Anti-Christ.
Wrapped around the love-lust affair of Greek assassin and a toaster.
(I was told that S.H.I.E.L.D.'s LMD's are no more complex than toasters!)
Together they fought The Beast of the Apocalypse and its evil Hand.
Together they snatched "the box" and ruled the world.
Together they fucked up the world from the inside out.
That was the plot Frank gave Bill.
But processed to the insane creative juices of Bill, the whole thing came out different.
Frank huffed, puffed and panted to keep up.
Frank nearly gave up.
Bill's visions made Frank's head explode.
"Where's the fuckin' plot?", Frank screamed.
"What fuckin' plot? Just script the damned thing!" Bill countered.
Frank did his best and nearly died in the process.
The result was a work that nobody understood.
It was not meant to be read.
[Some would argue that it was never meant to be "adapted" into a movie too!]
It was not meant to be analyzed.
It was meant to be *experienced*.
It was a mind-fuck, psychedelic ride into the madness of the world in 1987 with our guides, Frank and Bill.
It was a meditation on evil and a poke into the eye of the Beast.
It was a celebration of the insanity of Reaganomics and a fear of "robot"-liberals ruling the world (literally).
Bill threw in sex and religion while he was at it.
Frank threw in humour and absurdity while trying to keep up with Bill's visions.
Very few people talk about this work today.
Oh yes, they buy it and shelve it religiously.
Some even attempted to review it.
Most people simply revere it.
But very few really dared to talk about it because few understood it.
They simply said two words: "Elektra: Assassin".
Perhaps that was all they had to say.
To those who'd read it, they knew everything contained within those two words.
To those who will read it, I wish you all the best.
To those who will never read it, what do I care?
"Elektra: Assassin"
A once-off, never to be repeated performance from two maestros.

One day, when the Beast is finally revealed, he'll wonder why I knew him all along.

Hahahahahahahahahahahahahaha!